Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks: Beanitos Bean Chips

posted by Kalyn Denny on May 13, 2014

When you simply must have a crunchy chip, these healthy Beanitos chips made from beans are really good.

I’m a huge fan of dried beans, and I don’t think there’s any doubt that the fact that they’re allowed for Phase One of the South Beach Diet was one of the things that convinced me that this way of eating was a good fit for me. So when someone told me about Beanitos Bean Chips in a conversation on the Kalyn’s Kitchen Facebook Page, I was definitely interested in trying them. Now a few months have gone by and I’ve tried all the flavors I can get in my local Harmon’s or Dick’s Market, and I can report, these chips are really good! (In fact, they may be a little too good, if you know what I mean!)

Luckily this is a healthy snack for anyone who’s wanting a low-glycemic option, as long as you use portion control. I like to eat a little handful of the chips with one of the Good Foods Tableside Chunky Guacamole Single-Serving Cups that I chose as one of my picks a few months ago, and it doesn’t take a huge number of chips to really add to the enjoyment of that little cup of guacamole.

You can find complete nutritional information on the Beanitos Bean Chips website, but just to summarize, a 1 oz. serving (about 12 chips) has 4 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, 16 carbs (which are “good carbs” for the South Beach Diet), no added sugar, and 140 calories. The glycemic index of the various types ranges from 33-44, with a glycemic load of 3 or 4 depending on the type. The chips are also Gluten-Free.

Obviously eating chips like this is not the same as eating something like broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, mushrooms, onions or red peppers (all of which all have a GI rating of 10), but these chips are definitely in the range that’s considered Low Glycemic Index. I’m not sure if the South Beach Diet would consider them approved for Phase One; you’ll have to use your judgement on that. But for Phase 2 or 3, these would certainly be South Beach Diet friendly if you stick to the serving size. (And they’re made of beans, so if you really overdo the serving size, your body will probably let you know you ate too much.)

The only thing I can’t recommend about this product is the price, which is definitely higher than less healthy chips (about $4.00 for a small bag, although I did see them on sale once at 2 bags for $5.00.) But if you’re really trying to eat low-glycemic foods and craving a crunchy snack once in a while they might be worth the money. Here’s a store locator if you want to see if a store near you carries them.

Have you tried Beanitos Bean Chips? If so, let us know in the comments about your favorite ones and how you like to eat them.

Blogger Disclosures:

I purchased the Beanitos Bean Chips myself and this company has no idea that I’m writing about their product. All items featured as Kalyn’s Kitchen Picks are things I will happily buy over and over, and because I want readers to know that my opinions are completely unbiased, I don’t accept review products from the many companies who offer to send them to me. You can see the complete list of products I’ve chosen under the tab Kalyn’s Picks below the blog header.

One of the difficult things about eating low carb is not being able to have chips with salsa, guacamole, etc. These chips sound like a good solution to that problem. I look forward to trying them as well as the flavored chips so you don’t need a dip.

I have also used Plentils, a chip made from lentils. These are about .5g carbs per chip and work well as a dip “chip.”

Haven’t heard of those lentil chips, will look for them! I wrote this in 2014 and someone told me they changed the formula for these so they aren’t quite so carb-friendly, but I’m not completely sure about that.

I am NOT a bean fan at all. I do like hummus, but generally not whole beans. (although I'd like to learn to like them) I do, however, LOVE Beanitos!! I've had the white bean & sea salt, as well as the cheddar pinto bean style. I love them both. I enjoy eating the white bean ones with hummus (bean on bean… watch out!), salsa or homemade guacamole. I like the cheddar by themselves. Although the first bite may have a slight beany flavor, I really like how crunchy, yet light, they are. I've let others try them and they seem to like them too and can't believe they're bean chips either.

Kayln, I'm very fortunate that my grocery store(Meijer) carries a few of the flavors. Even the Whole Foods(where I first bought them) by me doesn't carry as many as my grocery store. Looks like you can buy them by the bag or case off their website though.

I love Beanitos! Actually, I think I'm the one that told you about them. 🙂 I've like pretty much all that I've tried, though the white bean varieties(plain & Nacho) have been my favorite. I'd like to try the cheddar pinto bean flavor as well as the puffs, but my stores don't carry them. 🙁

I love these chips! I've only tried the Original so far, but with your recommendation I'm going to look for some of the other flavors also. I'm totally satisfied with the portion and find them crunchy, filling and just plain yummy!